James’ importance becomes clear! (shamelessy lifted from James Piercy - Bristol Post)

[brady bunch]

James Piercy writes (and its very hard to disagree with him!):

For the “why on earth does Matty James start every game” club, watch back minutes 54-90 of last night’s game as Exhibit A in countering your position.

The moment James left the field after aggravating a foot injury, which had Pearson seriously worried about the 30-year-old’s possible absence from Saturday’s trip to Coventry, City’s midfield disintegrated.

Tyreeq Bakinson is edging Callum O’Dowda for fans’ favourite scapegoat right now but, up to a point, he was enjoying arguably his best game of the season so far; picking passes, moving between the lines and giving City’s midfield a bit of extra punch.

But once Massengo was swapped in for James, Bakinson just lost all positional sense and the middle of the park parted for a grateful Birmingham team to wander straight through at will.

[sh1t_ref_again]

Its interesting how the midfield dynamic changed last night when James went off, I thought up to then Bakinson was our best player and is now being lambasted by the usual I need a scapegoat brigade, but and I think Massengo is probable our best player, was it Massengo's energy and charging off closing down players that caused the loss of shape and changed the game? does he need to be more disciplined or was it James organising that was missed?

[GrahamC]

Spot on.

I thought for an hour Bakinson was not only our best player but was having one of his best games for us, whilst James was so so.

However as soon as the latter went off Tyreeq’s game went to pieces.

We are badly missing Williams and even as a squad man, King.

HNM simply couldn’t get into it last night, either.

Edited November 3, 2021 by GrahamC

[RedM]

The fans were singing for Massengo. I said that it wouldn’t happen immediately as NP won’t want to let the fans think he made the sub due to their ‘demands’. Then suddenly James was down, then subbed. I think all those singing thought Bakinson would be making way so it was a bit of a shock when we pretty much collapsed almost immediately. You could see it unfold before you and it was painful. 

Obviously NP wouldn’t have wanted to take James off and leave the midfield so fragile, but I’m amazed he didn’t realise what we all saw so instantly. 

Granted Bakinson had done better last night than in the previous recent games, but he was also getting sloppy and losing concentration quite a lot too as the game progressed.

[Red-Robbo]

Han-Noah is a very talented player, but he isn't really defensively minded.

If both James and Williams are missing on the weekend, we've got ourselves a problem.

[Davefevs]

….and how often do I say, you can’t just look at players individual performances and judge them on that…you have to take in those players around them, the little pairings and partnerships….or sometimes who they are up against.

Earlier this season James was box2box, because in some games he had King working well in tandem with him.  They knew each other’s game and it showed.

Obviously, none of us are pros, and it’s not always easy to spot why player a is benefiting from player b, but whether it’s causation or correlation, the game changed massively when James went off.

[GrahamC]

3 minutes ago, Red-Robbo said:

Han-Noah is a very talented player, but he isn't really defensively minded.

If both James and Williams are missing on the weekend, we've got ourselves a problem.

I doubt it will happen but we could do far worse than switch Zak there in this instance.

Defensively more aware than HNM or Tyreeq & if Baker is back we are well stocked with defensive options.

[Red-Robbo]

1 minute ago, GrahamC said:

I doubt it will happen but we could do far worse than switch Zak there in this instance.

Defensively more aware than HNM or Tyreeq & if Baker is back we are well stocked with defensive options.

 

I think that would be the fall-back position.

Personally, I'm hoping that Joe W will be fit enough, but if he's only just started training on grass that seems unlikely. 

[East Londoner]

I literally just said in a different thread that the impact of James going off last night and how it pretty much took us back to last seasons team shows why Pearson brought in Simpson and King to provide that leadership both on and off the pitch 

Edited November 3, 2021 by East Londoner

[The Bard]

21 minutes ago, GrahamC said:

Spot on.

I thought for an hour Bakinson was not only our best player but was having one of his best games for us, whilst James was so so.

However as soon as the latter went off Tyreeq’s game went to pieces.

We are badly missing Williams and even as a squad man, King.

HNM simply couldn’t get into it last night, either.

I said to @Harry when Massengo came on there was the potential this could go pear shaped with those 2 together. Both are headless and need a grounded player next to them.

 

In hindsight at this point it would've been better to have gone to a back 4, moved Vyner into CDM and had Bakinson and Massengo either side of him. Probably wouldn't have made a difference but at least someone would've occupied the middle of the pitch.

[exAtyeoMax]

I looked at the subs before the game, and thought "oh shit" 

HNM coming on alongside TB was a recipe for disaster…

[Harry]

7 hours ago, The Bard said:

I said to @Harry when Massengo came on there was the potential this could go pear shaped with those 2 together. Both are headless and need a grounded player next to them.

 

In hindsight at this point it would've been better to have gone to a back 4, moved Vyner into CDM and had Bakinson and Massengo either side of him. Probably wouldn't have made a difference but at least someone would've occupied the middle of the pitch.

Yep. I’d obviously already said to you that I was concerned about being overrun with James & Bakinson, due to Baks propensity to not track brilliantly, but in fairness to him, for the first half he made me eat my words. 
 

But as soon as it was Baks & HNM, the concern was obvious. Putting those 2 in a central midfield pairing was suicidal. That’s on Pearson again. His substitutions are a little bizarre sometimes. 
 

edit - by the way, it was great to see you after 18 months mate! 

Edited November 3, 2021 by Harry

[Merrick's Marvels]

7 hours ago, The Bard said:

I said to @Harry when Massengo came on there was the potential this could go pear shaped with those 2 together. Both are headless and need a grounded player next to them.

 

In hindsight at this point it would've been better to have gone to a back 4, moved Vyner into CDM and had Bakinson and Massengo either side of him. Probably wouldn't have made a difference but at least someone would've occupied the middle of the pitch.

Adding Vyner to midfield, alongside Bakinson and Massengo, is shuffling the deck chairs on the Titanic!  

[Pezo]

8 hours ago, GrahamC said:

I doubt it will happen but we could do far worse than switch Zak there in this instance.

Defensively more aware than HNM or Tyreeq & if Baker is back we are well stocked with defensive options.

Pushing Zak to midfield would solve having a player there that can defend, we then need someone who can run/organise our midfield which we wouldn't have, so would once again get cut through like butter.

[Mr Popodopolous]

I don't think we need to rush Williams back, well in one sense we do but in another if we do the chances are he will break down quickly again.

Vyner sitting between perhaps CM 2 and defence seems the least bad option- he can also drop into a back 3 as and when.

That is of course, assuming that James and Williams are unavailable/not yet ready for Saturday.

Edited November 3, 2021 by Mr Popodopolous

[The Bard]

58 minutes ago, Merrick's Marvels said:

Adding Vyner to midfield, alongside Bakinson and Massengo, is shuffling the deck chairs on the Titanic!  

We played the donut formation last 20 minutes 

[The Bard]

51 minutes ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

I don't think we need to rush Williams back, well in one sense we do but in another if we do the chances are he will break down quickly again.

Vyner sitting between perhaps CM 2 and defence seems the least bad option- he can also drop into a back 3 as and when.

That is of course, assuming that James and Williams are unavailable/not yet ready for Saturday.

Thing is there's a 14 day break so unlikely anyone will be risked for a game we're likely to lose.

[Mr Popodopolous]

1 hour ago, The Bard said:

Thing is there's a 14 day break so unlikely anyone will be risked for a game we're likely to lose.

I was thinking maybe we could get a point, but I know what you mean...

Although they should be refreshed nicely post International breaks with injuries and fitness issues at a minimum but it seems not- see Bournemouth at home as an example.

[Street red]

1 hour ago, Harry said:

Yep. I’d obviously already said to you that I was concerned about being overrun with James & Bakinson, due to Baks propensity to not track brilliantly, but in fairness to him, for the first half he made me eat my words. 
 

But as soon as it was Baks & HNM, the concern was obvious. Putting those 2 in a central midfield pairing was suicidal. That’s on Pearson again. His substitutions are a little bizarre sometimes. 
 

edit - by the way, it was great to see you after 18 months mate! 

Not sure he had a lot of choice with the subs he had to choose from.

[The Dolman Pragmatist]

39 minutes ago, Street red said:

Not sure he had a lot of choice with the subs he had to choose from.

But didn’t he choose the subs in the first place?

[Harry]

1 hour ago, Street red said:

Not sure he had a lot of choice with the subs he had to choose from.

The personnel for the sub was right, but the shape needed to change once he’d done it. Leaving TB & HNM as a midfield 2 is, as The Bard says, playing a donut formation. 
You know, the one with a hole in the middle. 

[The Swan and Cemetery]

We haven’t been amazing this season at any point, but think we’ve been generally solid with King and James in the middle (and better again with Williams). Or at least a lot more solid than last 30 yesterday. Lots to like about Massengo’s energy and potential and bits and bobs to like about Bakinson, but no substitute for experience at a (very) decent level and understanding how things will unfold before they do, even if the legs have gone to some extent.  

[HappyClapper]

Just now, Harry said:

The personnel for the sub was right, but the shape needed to change once he’d done it. Leaving TB & HNM as a midfield 2 is, as The Bard says, playing a donut formation. 
You know, the one with a hole in the middle. 

Alternatively, the one with the donuts in it.